E20 Petrol Contamination Claims Rejected After Nationwide Tests

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Nationwide testing found no evidence of widespread chloride or moisture contamination in E20 petrol.
More than 100 refinery petrol samples recorded chloride levels at or below 1 ppm.
Over 1,000 retail outlet samples were collected under intensified surveillance.

NEW DELHI: Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have said nationwide intensive testing of E20 petrol found no evidence to support recent claims of widespread chloride or moisture contamination in ethanol-blended petrol.

The additional surveillance was conducted across the entire fuel supply chain, covering refineries, ethanol distilleries, depots, terminals, tank trucks and retail outlets.

The companies said the testing was designed to establish whether contamination was affecting fuel quality or potentially damaging vehicle performance.

OMCs Find No Widespread E20 Petrol Contamination

According to the OMCs, scientifically designed random testing found that fuel samples remained within prescribed quality limits.

The companies said there was therefore no cause for alarm over widespread fuel contamination.

The government has already prescribed strict chloride specifications for ethanol used in petrol blending. Monitoring is carried out at multiple points across the supply chain to identify deviations.

Refinery Petrol Samples Tested

More than 100 randomly selected petrol samples from different refineries were tested.

The OMCs said all samples recorded chloride levels of 1 ppm or below.

Ethanol, which forms the primary blending component in E20 petrol, was also tested extensively.

A task force comprising representatives from OMCs and the Centre for High Technology (CHT) tested samples from 80 distilleries across India over a 10-day period.

All the tested ethanol samples recorded chloride levels below 3 ppm, according to the companies.

E20 Samples at Depots and Retail Outlets

More than 80 ethanol and E20 petrol samples collected from OMC depots and terminals also showed chloride levels below 3 ppm.

At retail outlets, more than 1,000 samples have been collected as part of the intensified surveillance programme.

Of the 160 chloride test reports analysed so far, the recorded levels ranged from 0 to 3 ppm, the OMCs said.

The findings contradict recent claims that chloride concentrations in some fuel samples had reached several hundred parts per million.

Four Outlets Found With Elevated Chloride Levels

The intensified monitoring did identify four isolated cases of elevated chloride levels.

The OMCs said supplies from the affected outlets were suspended immediately. Authorities then began detailed root-cause investigations and corrective measures before restoring supplies.

The companies said such isolated findings demonstrate the importance of continued quality surveillance across the fuel distribution network.

Retail Outlets Under Increased Water-Ingress Checks

OMCs have also intensified checks for possible water ingress into underground fuel storage tanks.

Around 90,000 retail outlets have begun mandatory inspections, with tanks being checked 8 to 12 times a day.

According to the companies, the inspections conducted so far have not detected water ingress.

Mobile fuel-quality testing laboratories have also been deployed at various locations, while samples are being independently validated by fuel laboratories.

E20 Fuel Quality Monitoring to Continue

The OMCs said fuel-quality surveillance will continue across the supply chain and that any deviation detected during testing will be followed by immediate corrective action.

A tabulated summary of test results is available through the official Centre for High Technology platform and will be updated as further testing results become available.